October 1st! Sugar Detox Draws to a Close.

I did it. But I didn't think I could.

I (Emily, here!) started my no-sugar journey in the beginning of September with the mindset to take it slow, one day at a time, and learn how sugar affects my body, in what amount, and if I could have a healthy relationship with it after the hiatus was over. If you're interested in learning how to handle your sugar cravings, head to the bottom of this post and click to reserve your space in my free teleseminar on the 13th! Anyway, I learned so much during my education at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and graduating, I felt I was equipped with all of the knowledge I needed, but for some reason, I couldn't truly internalize all that I was learning.

Does that ever happen to you? You know the shoulds, the must dos, but your brain feels split as you think you shouldn't do something but still do it anyway. It's a constant push pull that is exhausting and leaves you standing over the kitchen sink shoveling food into your mouth even though you aren't hungry and were planning on going to bed. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? I know it resonates with me. A lot.

In September, I had finally had enough. I felt like I had lost control. And I was tired of feeling exhausted and gaining weight and having these insatiable cravings. So over the last three weeks, as I've given up all sugars but fruit sugars, I stepped into the nooks and crannies of my mind and broke down my desire for sweets. It wasn't rainbows and butterflies, that's for sure, but it was pretty eye opening.

Week One:

Most common thought: Why the f*** did I do this?
Realization: I was making myself eat something for dessert every night, because allowing myself to eat dessert felt like food freedom. For so long, I denied myself dessert, that even though I wasn't hungry, had no interest in adding food to my belly, and was exhausted over the idea of making anything else, I ate it anyway. Compulsion.
Next Step: Breathe. Sit with your realizations.

Week Two:

Most common thought: Eating your weight in fruit isn't the answer either.
Realization: If I were with other people right now, getting a hug or having a great conversation, I wouldn't be making food, forcing myself to eat it or sitting in my room alone and drowning myself in another chocolate smoothie bowl. Am I actually hungry for sugar or something else?
Next Step: Take a yoga class, and give yourself permission to be at ease.

Week Three:

Most common thought: It's almost October! Only half kidding ... it was actually - Love is the answer.
Realization: My heart was lonely, I felt like I was missing something in my life, and I was replacing that lack with food, namely sugar. What I really needed was love; love for myself and for others.
Next Step: Slowly introduce sugar back into my lifestyle, being mindful and kind to my body, truly listening to hunger and satiety levels and my heart.

Ending Thoughts:

I wasn't expecting this to be anything more than a nuisance, a three week drought to my bottomless cravings, and an otherwise uneventful, if not difficult, period in my life. Unfortunately/fortunately it was far more than that. I survived, and surviving was my goal. But I also learned a bunch. I learned how as much as I love sugar, I don't need it nearly as much as I thought. It was a comfort, a craving of security, and a crutch for something I was lacking in my life. I find that fascinating. So what's my next step? To take it one day at a time. I'm not setting unrealistic goals for myself (see SMART goals) and telling myself that I could go my entire life without sugar. HA that's a joke - birthdays, holidays, life! But I am going to actively listen to myself and choose happiness over dependence.

Other perks of a better relationship with sugar?

• no emotional ups and downs
• no more brain fog and headaches
• no more psychotic urges to shovel more
• into my mouth even though I'm stuffed

That being said ... interested in finding a better relationship with sugar?

Emily Friend breaks a big topic, controversial Sugar, into bite-size pieces with tips, tricks, and advice on finding which sugars work best for your body and in what amount. Learn the facts and get free tools for health success without having to change out of your sweats or get off the couch. Total wellness doesn't have to be hard. In fact, if it's not bringing you great vibes, it's not worth it.

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Sugar Blues Check-In // registration open!

The Giving Up of Sugar ...

It’s been two weeks since I announced my giving up sugar for the remainder of October. To be honest, I don’t know how differently I feel. I can’t hold one factor, sugar, constant, and a lot of other things are happening in my life. But here’s why I've stuck with it: when I decided not to tempt myself with sugar for the remainder of the month, it was so I could get back to my body and my health.

Sugar is a drug, so I detoxed with what felt a lot like a hangover for a few days. With my permanent sweet tooth, I’m surprised I was able to give it all up (still eating fruit, though). I even have lollipops in my drawer that I’m not eating. And I feel proud. I feel in control. Sugar addictions are no joke, and it’s easy to feel out of control around the substance. We deny ourselves sugar, so that in turn only makes us want it more. Then we let ourselves have it, but knowing that we’ll restrict ourselves again, we binge binge binge on the sweetness of our treats.

I am no stranger to hiding out in the kitchen with, yet again, another slice of cake. That feeling like you're hiding out and scarfing down your guilty pleasure, hoping no one will come in and see you in your blissful shame. Maybe that resonates with you, or maybe that sounds silly, and of course, not everyone has that feeling in the world, but it doesn’t make the emotions that come with it any less. Some feelings that can come up from sugar addiction are: confusion, stress, shame, remorse, guilt, frustration.

It’s easy to feel out of control, throw your hands up in the air, and go home to hide, but those emotions listed above are no bueno. We need to be feeling strong, glowing, energetic, excited, and loved by the foods we’re putting in our body. If you feel like your cravings are out of control, you’re not alone. In fact, I’m right there with you. It’s a never-ending cycle and a movement towards greater understanding.

But guess what? I’ve taken all of the hard work out for you. If you want to understand why you’re constantly craving sweets and how to gain control without deprivation, you’re in the right place. Join me in October for The Sugar Blues Talk ... reserve your space today by clicking below!

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Digital Detox || 6.1.15

+ could you do a digital detox?

(tips and bennies at the bottom)

How many times have you truly been able to unplug and enjoy the everyday life without having the need to check your phone, refresh your facebook, or see how many likes your last picture had on instagram? It's a terrifying reality that we have all become so connected to our phones and computers; we meet possible dates, we coach clients, we watch tv, find work out videos, recipes, and so much more all from a screen maybe 13 inches wide with 78 keys to press and a trackpad to press our thumbs into or from a touchable surface that fits in the palm of our hand. Whattt?!! It's rantable (not a word but I'm making it one), really. How many times do we stress over how long it will take someone to respond with the time, date, and place when we could call them up on the phone and find out in seconds? And how many times have we sent that same message to someone living in the same space? It's okay. It's not our fault that life has become this way. BUT, it is our fault if we let it continue to dictate our lives.

Last week when my computer broke, I had to hand it over to those more qualified for a couple of days. To be honest, it was a relief. Finally, I had a reason why I couldn't complete more hours of study time or log on and market myself and my business. I didn't have the resource to edit photos, comment on blogs, or heaven forbid, online shop. I had my phone, but my fingers are long -- hellooooo hand cramping. No thank you. So instead, I hung out with my mom, had extra cups of coffee, read more books, did some yoga, took the dogs for a walk, made a yummy salad, finished a recipe, took photos when the sun was just right. It was a command from mercury (it was/is(?) still in retrograde, ya know), but man was it the best order I needed in my life. It was like letting go of a breath I hadn't been aware I was holding.

And then two days later, the internet went down and I couldn't do anything remotely online related for two and a half days. Not only did I do all of the above, but I actually sat around the table with some interesting people and talked about as much as we could think of over the course of five hours. Time that would have been spent watching Netflix, scrolling through pinterest, emailing and staring at a screen that's making us blind to the rest of the world. Boy, oh boy, was it something.

Now it's all back: my computer works, the internet is motoring along, and nothing is quite out of whack (knock on wood). What will I do with my weeks experience of unplanned stops to my everyday life? I'm truly going to embrace what I've learned and make a habit of this digital detox. Maybe once a week, maybe once every two weeks I plan to unplug. Really unplug. From the internet, from the digital world, from everything that makes me stare at a screen and not at the beautiful facets of life all around me. Maybe that means all I will do is take in the words on a page and hold a hot cup of coffee in my hands, but to me, that is enough. What's the worst thing that could happen?

5 Ways to Digitally Detox

1. Time On, Time Off Young Grasshopper

If you burn the midnight oil too long, eventually your light goes out. So if the idea of a shut-everything-off-don't-touch-it-forever kind of detox is intimidating, start small. Work 30-50 minutes and then take a 10-15 minute break that includes stretching, breathing, walking outside, or anything else that gets you away from the blue screen.

2. There's an App for That

Really. You can find an app that keeps certain other apps from working during specific times or blocks of the day. This is helpful if you need to do a social media cleanse rather than a total digital cleanse, but can still be great in the weaning off phase.

3. Thou Shall Not Have Temptation

If seeing a computer, tablet, or phone makes your nerves buzz and your mind say, 'baby, come here', hide it. No kidding, tuck those gadgets out of sight. Hide them away. Eventually, when you realize the amazingness that comes from being unplugged, you'll be able to leave them out and say, give me five more minutes with this book. What?! A book you say? Yes. Ink on pages never looked so sweet.

4. Tell the Rest of the World

Just like going on a diet, trying a new exercise program, or scoring the best tickets to an event, we share. We overshare. The best way to stay motivated is to know that others are informed. So tell the world! Let them know what you are doing. Encourage them to do the same. Being held accountable for not using your computer or tablet or phone does not make you weak in the eyes of the busy. It makes you enviable. Imagine all you can gain, and share that with the world.

5. That Being Said ... The Benefits

Okay, not a way to detox, but certainly one you've been waiting to read. Here's what you could gain when you unplug (some do not apply to all. that is okay. there is more than enough to go around).

• falling back in love with your significant other // you start to talk to their face again instead of to a phone while you tell them about your day. queue the feels.
• losing weight // being conscious about your intake of food and not on a screen sends the full signals to our brain at the appropriate rate (which is often a lot quicker than we think). Also, you might find you using your time to breathe or move around, both linked strongly to weight loss.
• people want to be around you // showing others the respect of listening actively to how they are doing and feeling equals those same people wanting to come back for more
• seeing the small things and taking pleasure in them // how many times on instagram or facebook are there pictures of a sunset you wish you had seen? Look outside! You have those! The things you have FOMO for are in your backyard or available to you if you stop staring down and start looking up
• awareness of the world around you // read the newspaper instead of the online paper. Notice how lovely it is to feel the paper beneath your fingers and to really read instead of scanning the headlines. You'll have far more topics to choose from when talking with random people or your loved ones if you know what happened throughout the world.
• acknowledgment // you know how it's so easy to take for granted all that is before us? After doing this detox, you realize the magnificence that is technology and how we need to use these tools for good and not just venting or ranting or having our say. Spread peace and acknowledge how amazing it is we have access to this greatness.
• so many more // everyone does this differently, and thus, there are so many benefits specific to the individual. I could tell you more, but that would just be keeping you staring at this screen for more time than necessary.

Try it with me.

How will you unplug? What did you find about this detox that you liked? That you didn't like? Let me know below in the comments or on facebook!

If the idea of doing a digital detox alone is a little scary, let me help.

okay. really. close the computer, turn off the tablet or phone, and start living. there's a whole world out there. make mud houses, do some yoga, take a deep breath. it'll be worth it.